Tools & Resources

After Vacation: Tips to Bounce Back Fast

Suffering from the post-vacation blues? Here's how to ease the re-entry into your regular life.

WebMD Archive

Tip No. 2: Watch Sleep and 2 Other Vacation Variables continued...

"Vacationing with small children can turn out to be more effort than
staying at home," says Breus, who writes a blog for WebMD.

"If you stay home, the kids have all their toys and they can run around,
while in a hotel room that may not be the case."

Kids also wake up during the night, which means a sleep shortfall for
parents.

In addition, people on vacation tend to drink more alcohol and stay up later
-- a double whammy that easily disrupts sleep.

"Alcohol may make you fall asleep quickly, but you don't get into the
deeper stages, so you end up sleep deprived," Breus says. "I'm not
against drinking, but you have to realize the effect. If you watch the amount
of alcohol and food you consume, and get to bed at a reasonable hour, and get
some exercise, which will help you sleep, you might be able to get rid of your
sleep debt."

Jet lag also disrupts sleep.

"In truth, jet lag is a natural process your body should be able to get
through," Breus says. "Your body will normalize about one time zone per
day."

If you do want to use a sleep aid to help you overcome jet lag, avoid
Benadryl, Breus says. "Benadryl has a long half-life, so you couldn't pick
a worse thing to take."

Tip No. 3: Be Realistic About Your Relationship and Trip

Some couples discover that the togetherness of a vacation exposes weak spots
in their relationship, according to Emma K. Viglucci, founder and president of
Metropolitan Marriage and Family Therapy in New York City.

"People think their problems will go away on vacation, but your problems
come with you no matter where you go," Viglucci says. "For some people,
vacation is like Christmas -- everything has to be perfect, but often the
vacation falls short of those expectations."

On top of that, spending so much time together actually may create hostility
and allow resentment to fester, according to Everett Worthington, PhD,
professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and author of
Humility: The Quiet Virtue.